Snapshot: Building for the Common Good

The ongoing work of the three-year-old infrastructure law is a reminder of the value of governmental ambition and imagination

“Confronted with a crisis…President Biden responded with a level of ambition.” (Photo by Ethan Miller via Getty Images)

For the record, Joe Biden is still President. It’s almost possible to forget that, what with the flood of recklessness already pouring forth from the man who’s scheduled to take office on Jan 20. 

That’s 63 days from now, which means we have two months to hear about—and demand—new actions to counteract the coming danger, including appointing more federal judges, accelerating aid to Ukraine and disbursing billions of dollars in grants meant for new environmental, infrastructure and education projects. (We also need this administration and other elected Democrats to speak out loudly, clearly and regularly about the unfolding demolition of our democratic institutions by Trump, both while they’re still in power and after Jan. 20).

It also means highlighting—while still possible—the remarkable accomplishments of the massive infrastructure law and what’s possible when a president is committed to improving the country and the lives of the people who inhabit it. Celebrating the three-year anniversary of the law’s passage on Friday, the Biden-Harris administration documented over $568 billion in funding, which represents over 66,000 projects and awards in every state, territory and tribal nation. That includes roads and bridges, rail, airports, ports and waterways, transit and school buses, clean water, high-speed internet, the energy grid—both investments in new infrastructure and making existing infrastructure more resilient with a particular focus on clean energy and climate-related action.

It’s worth considering just some of what that includes: improvements initiated on over 96,000 miles of roads, over 11,400 bridge repair projects, over 367,000 lead pipe replacements. It also includes funding over 580 port and waterway projects, over 400 airport terminal projects, over 2,400 drinking water and wastewater projects, over 6,000 projects to strengthen communities against the impacts of climate change and cyber-attacks, nearly 2,400 projects for water recycling, storage and other efforts to address drought—and the removal of hazardous fuel material from 18 million acres of land to help counteract the risks of wildfires. All of this has created 940,000 construction jobs, according to the administration.

As Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg described it on Friday, “The only thing that all those different kinds of investments really have in common is the scale, the scope, the imagination and that recognition that [when] confronted with a crisis…President Biden responded with a level of ambition, saying, ‘Let’s take the tools of government and use them to solve both short-term and long-term problems.’”

As President Biden said last week from the Rose Garden, “Much of the work we’ve done is already being felt by the American people, but the vast majority…will be felt over the next 10 years. It’s going to take time, but it’s there. The road ahead is clear.”

Of course, it’s not yet clear how many of these projects will be stopped once Trump takes over. That’s why getting funding out the door in these remaining weeks is so important. According to the Associated Press, Biden aides are saying privately that they expect Trump will take credit for these projects, just like Republicans have done all over the country for new infrastructure that they voted against.

There are 63 more days. Yes, wistfulness and feelings of dread, trepidation and outright fear and fury will be unavoidable as we absorb and confront what lies ahead. But let’s also continue to recognize what good government looks like—and remember the necessity of supporting leaders at the local, state and federal levels who care about building the common good, not just disrupting and destroying things to serve themselves.

Please consider becoming a paid subscriber for $50 a year or just $5 a month, if you’re not already. This helps sustain and expand the work of America, America, keeps nearly all the content free for everyone and gives you full access to the comment sections. That has never been more important.